There are some occasions when it makes sense why your body is hurting, such as when you have the flu or have just started an intense new exercise regimen. But other body aches are more difficult to explain and might have you wondering exactly what is going to make you feel so unwell.
Here is a discussion of the most common things that cause body aches and how to ease the pain with natural approaches.
Conditions That Cause Body Aches
Stress can affect many parts of the body and make you feel run down and have body aches. It can weaken the immune system too and make you more susceptible to colds and the flu, which can bring on even more achiness. You might feel achy if you haven’t been drinking enough water and are dehydrated, if your iron levels are low and you’ve become anemic, or if you have low levels of vitamin D in your body.
There are serious medical conditions that have achiness as a symptom as well, such as pneumonia, fibromyalgia, lupus, and multiple sclerosis. Chronic fatigue syndrome and arthritis may cause a person to feel achy all over on a regular basis.
Possible Co-Occurring Symptoms
Oftentimes, achiness is just one of several symptoms going on when something is affecting the body in a negative way. Co-occurring symptoms are important to take notice of because they can shed some light on why your body feels achy and lead you to the most effective treatment.
For example, if stress if causing your achiness, you may also have a high heart rate, high blood pressure, and headaches. Body aches caused by anemia may be accompanied by exhaustion and cold hands and feet. If your aches are the result of fibromyalgia, you might also have trouble sleeping, feel tingling sensations in your extremities, and be sensitive to light.
Natural Approaches to Body Aches
Since “body aches” is a somewhat vague symptom and can be the result of so many different issues, it’s best to determine what the cause is before pursuing a specific treatment strategy. Persistent achiness could be a sign of something going on in your body that you aren’t even aware of and that hasn’t been diagnosed yet.
But when you’re trying to get relief for those aches and pains, plain and simple rest is usually the best remedy to give your body the time it needs to recuperate. Drink more water to replenish your body’s fluids, and try taking a warm bath or using a heating pad on sensitive areas to relieve aches. If a vitamin deficiency is causing an imbalance in your body, you may benefit from taking natural supplements to compensate for gaps in your diet.
Once you consult a health professional about chronic aches and pains, various natural treatments might be recommended, such as acupuncture, massage therapy, and meditation. Psychotherapy, biofeedback, yoga, and tai chi can also be effective in managing long-term pain that doesn’t go away with a simple sickness recovery and that has mental and emotional causes as well as physical ones.